MISCELLANEOUS. 327 



and other public buildings, the peculiar purport for which 

 those establishments may be formed, and how supported and 

 regulated; if the prisons are merely buildings for the incarce- 

 ration of criminals, or if they are at the same time used as 

 places of reform, if the prisoners are employed, and in what 

 businesses, and under what regulations ; of the diflerent modes 

 of punishment ; whether, and for what crimes, the pun- 

 ishment of death is inflicted. 



The state of learning also requires particular attention, 

 together with any history or traditional accounts that may be 

 extant of the first introduction of civilization, what ancient 

 Books, either manuscript or printed, are contained in 

 public or private Libraries, particularly if any copies of 

 the Scriptures of very ancient date, with any remarkable 

 diflferences from the present version. Their gems, seals, or 

 coins should be observed, as these often serve to throw much 

 light on the history of past ages, where these are scarce or 

 valuable, impressions of them can easily be taken without 

 any injury, by the following simple method ; take a quan- 

 tity of the crumb of bread that has been baked at least twelve 

 hours, knead this with the thumb and finger in the palm 

 of the hand, till it is quite soft and acquires the consistency 

 of half melted wax ; this will require a considerable time, 

 perhaps an hour or more ; the bread thus kneaded will 

 have acquired an opake whiteness, and will readily admit of 

 colouring by mixing a small quantity of Vermillion or any 

 other red pigment, Mith a little milk or cream, and 

 kneading it with the prepared bread, when this is suflicic-ntly 

 soft, it will admit of the slightest indentation, and may be 

 applied to the gem, seal, or coin, and its impression will be 



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